Bible: Jer 27:1-10

Jeremiah Counsels Submission to Babylon

27:1The Lordspoketo Jeremiah1earlyin the reignof Josiah’sson, KingZedekiah of Judah.227:2TheLordtoldme,3 “Makea yoke4 out of leather strapsand wooden crossbarsand putit onyour neck.27:3Use it to sendmessages tothe kingsof Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre,5and Sidon.6Send them through7the envoyswho have cometo Jerusalem8toKingZedekiahof Judah.27:4Chargethem togive their mastersa messagefrom me. Tellthem, ‘The LordGodof Israelwho rules over all9saystogive your mastersthis message.1027:5“Imadethe earthand the peopleand animalsonit by my mighty powerand greatstrength,11and I giveit to whomeverI see fit.1227:6Ihaveat this time placedallthesenationsof yoursunder the power13of my servant,14KingNebuchadnezzarof Babylon. I have evenmade all the wildanimalssubjectto him.1527:7Allnationsmust servehim and his sonand grandson16untilthe timecomesfor his own nationto fall.17 Thenmanynations and greatkingswill in turn subjugateBabylon.1827:8But supposea nationor a kingdomwill notbe subjectto KingNebuchadnezzarof Babylon. Suppose it willnotsubmitto the yoke of servitudeto19 him. I, the Lord, affirmthat20 I will punishthat nation. I will use the kingof Babylonto punish it21 with war,22starvation, and diseaseuntilI have destroyed it.2327:9Sodo notlistentoyour prophetsor tothose who claim topredict the future by divination,24bydreams, byconsultingthe dead,25 or by practicing magic. Theykeep tellingyou, ‘You do notneed tobe26 subjectto the kingof Babylon.’27:10Do not listen to them,27becausetheirpropheciesare lies.28Listening to them will only cause you29 tobe taken faraway from your native land. I will driveyou outof your country and you will diein exile.30